What is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Adapted from the guidelines as set by the International Olive Oil Council Extra Virgin Olive Oil is olive oil with an absolutely impeccable taste and aroma, obtained from healthy, fresh green or ripe olives. How fruity it is depends on the variety and ripeness of the olives. This fruitiness can be perceived through both flavor and aroma. Extra virgin olive oil has no defect in smell or taste. Extra virgin olive oil should be cold-pressed in a traditional press or extraction system that does not damage the oil with heat, and the resulting acidity level should be no greater than 1%. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is obtained from the fruit of the olive tree by mechanical or other physical means that does not lead to deterioration of the oil. The oil does not undergo any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration. Extra virgin olive oil, by definition, excludes oils obtained by the use of solvents, and those mixed with oils from other sources. 2003-5 Mary Lou Heiss ^
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or EVOO is olive oil that is less than .8% acidity, produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through the cold pressing process. Extra Virgin Olive Oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries. In order to meet COOC standards Extra Virgin Olive Oil must be less than .5% acidity. Calivirgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains .1% acidity.
Extra virgin olive oil refers to a specific grade of consumer olive oil, which is made from the initial pressing of the olives. Extra virgin olive oil is considered by most people to be the highest-quality olive oil, with the finest taste and texture. Olive oil is a hugely popular oil throughout the world, both for cooking and for eating as a condiment with foods. Mediterranean countries produce the vast majority of the world’s olive oil, and oil from these countries is generally considered to be the finest. Although olive oil is also used for industrial applications, the term extra virgin olive oil refers only to consumer-grade olive oil, and should not be confused with the ‘virgin oil’ designation given to some industrial olive oil. Olive oil is graded by an international body, the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), which designates whether an oil is extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, or a lesser grade. The IOOC is made up of 23 different countries, and the United States
